The Most Wondeful Time of the Year
by Carol
Summary: Sam takes care of Dean after a hunt goes horribly awry…set sometime after 6.11, Appointment in Samarra…


**The Most Wonderful Time of the Year**

**By Carol M.**

**Summary: Sam takes care of Dean after a hunt goes horribly awry…set sometime after 6.11, Appointment in Samarra…**

**Spoilers: Up to Appointment in Samarra…takes place a time after the events of the episode**

**Disclaimer: Don't own them, only love them**

**Enjoy!**

Sam places the cool wash cloth against Dean's flushed and sweaty neck, bringing the sides up to wrap around Dean's jaw and holds it there, letting it soothe and calm his brother. He leaves one hand wrapped around the cloth and lets the other drift down to Dean's back, where he runs his hand up and down in a soft, comforting motion, trying his best to ignore the tremors that violently shake through his brother's body.

"Relax, Dean, it's over. We're done. We finished it."

Dean straightens up then, the washcloth falling from his neck, and he looks at Sam through tear twinkled eyes, which could be explained away by the fact the Dean has puked three times in the last fifteen minutes from the nasty bruise which is most definitely a concussion that covers almost the entire right side of Dean's forehead. Or it could be from something else.

"I should've been able to save em', Sammy. They were just kids."

"Dean, you did everything you could. That ghost nearly tore you apart while you were trying to them. What matters is that we got the bastard. It'll never be able to take another child again." Sam knows the words are meaningless. He feels awful too. But he knows for Dean it's even worse. Ever since Lisa and Ben, when it's kids, it hits Dean like a shot to the gut.

A few tears spill from Dean's eyes and Dean quickly goes to wipe at them when he notices the blood still staining his hands. The little boy's. Dean instantly gags, wincing, his left arm coming up to supportively wrap around his lower chest and stomach. Sam hurriedly turns him to the toilet and resumes rubbing Dean's back as he suffers through a miserable round of dry heaves that have Dean moaning and groaning in agony. When he's finally finished, Dean sags back against Sam, utterly exhausted.

"Let's get you into bed," Sam says as he gingerly grasps Dean's left arm and gently hauls him up, careful not to jostle Dean's right shoulder, which Sam popped back into place earlier and also mindful of Dean's midsection, which had taken one wallop of a battering. Sam thinks there's some broken ribs, maybe even internal bleeding. Any other night and he'd take Dean to the E.R. to get checked out. But things are already crappy enough and he doesn't want to make them worse. He reasons that if Dean is still bad off in the morning, he'll take him then.

"Come on, easy, easy," Sam encourages as he assists Dean out of the bathroom and leads him to one of the motels beds. He takes a moment to pull down the comforter and sits Dean down onto the exposed sheet, where he grapples with Dean's boots and then his jeans, shucking them all into a corner once he's got them all off. Then he delicately lowers Dean into a prone position, resting his brother's head against the pillow. Once he's got him settled, Sam takes a moment to check the knock on Dean's head and his mangled shoulder.

"Need anything?"

Dean starts to shake his head and then stops, wincing at the obvious pain the movement causes. "I'm good."

Sam nods and pulls the comforter up to Dean's chin. "Just try and get some sleep, okay. It'll be better in the morning." With that, Sam reaches over to shut off the lamp next to the bed.

"Sammy…"

Sam stops cold at the broken tone of his brother's voice. He looks at Dean and this time there's no mistaking what's caused the tears to swell up in his brother's eyes.

"What is it, Dean?" Sam says, recoiling back towards his brother, lightly grasping his arm.

"I'm…I'm glad that _you_…_you're_…back. Something like this…before…how you were… …I'm just…I don't know if I could've…" Dean trails off and looks away, but Sam doesn't miss the one tear that rolls down his brother's cheek onto the pillow, leaving a dark spot behind.

"I'm glad I'm here too, man," Sam says, squeezing Dean's arm. "Merry Christmas."

**That's All Folks!**


End file.
